First Seminole War

The First Seminole War (1816-1819) was a war fought between the United States government and the Seminole tribe of Florida, then a colony of Spain. The war was caused by a series of Seminole raids on the United States from their bases in the uncolonized parts of Florida, and the focus of the American invasion was the destruction of the "Negro Fort", the Seminole stronghold. The fort had been built by the British Army during the War of 1812 and garrisoned by 1,000 British troops and hundreds of black marines, and it became a colony for escaped slaves from West Florida and Georgia after the British abandoned the fort. Spanish governor Jose Masot told American general Andrew Jackson that he did not have the resources to take the fort from the escaped slaves, leading to Jackson gaining permission to invade Florida and destroy the fort himself. Edmund P. Gaines destroyed the fort with "hot shot", blowing it up after hitting its powder magazine.

However, the war was not yet over, as Seminole raids continued. Following the 29 November 1817 massacre of American soldiers and civilians at Fort Scott by the Seminole, Secretary of War John C. Calhoun had Jackson once more invade Florida, and he gathered an army of 800 US Army regulars, 1,000 Tennessee volunteers, 1,000 Georgia militia, and 1,400 Muscogee tribesmen to invade the colony. On 31 March 1818, they burnt down Tallahassee, and he destroyed 300 Indian homes at Miccosukee the next day. On 6 April 1818, Jackson seized Fort San Marcos from Spain, and Jackson proceeded to raze Seminole homes along the Suwannee River. He also established Fort Gadsden to garrison occupied East Florida, and he headed to West Florida when he discovered that the Spanish were supplying the Native Americans during their war with the USA. On 23 May 1818, Jackson and his army arrived at Pensacola, and the Americans and the Spanish defenders of Fort Barrancas exchanged cannon fire for a few days before the Spanish surrendered on 28 May.

The war nearly derailed Secretary of State John Quincy Adams' plans to purchase Spanish Florida, and Adams had to return St. Marks and Pensacola to Spain so that Spain would continue negotiating the sale of Florida. Jackson was criticized for deposing the Spanish governor, invading Spanish territory, and massacring Native American women and children, but he remained a popular war hero due to his War of 1812 achievements. The Seminole would rise up again during the 1830s, leading to another war.